By R.J. DeLuke
An information technology service provider recently expanded its local footprint, moving into bigger office in Glens Falls where it began two and a half years ago, an also expending into the fertile Saratoga Springs market.
But the story of Stored Technology Solutions — known as Storedtech — is much bigger than those two physical moves. The company’s in the world of IT is vast.
Mark Shaw, company president, and James Ecklund, vice president of operations, started the company after working in the industry for many years with large corporations. They worked on large projects and clients on a global scale.
The company they started works with small- to medium-sized businesses, helping them in a variety of ways from setting up entire computer and telecommunications systems from the ground up–and managing them if necessary– to simply providing advice, troubleshooting or training IT staff for companies.
Business has skyrocketed during that time. According to Shaw, sales went from about $100,000 after last year to over $1 million this year.
That required physical changes. Two employees were added in Glens Falls at its 40 Dix. Ave. headquarters. So they moved within the same building to space two and half times bigger than the old space.
Shaw said that additional room was acquired with an eye toward future expansion. Within the next two years, he anticipates growing from 12 to perhaps 20 employees in Glens Falls.
The move to establish a presence in the Saratoga market has different motivation. Shaw said over two years Storedtech became known in Glens Falls.
“We’re somewhat of an unknown entity in Saratoga,” Shaw said. “We understand the value and growth of the businesses there … That can’t be ignored.”
To that end, Storedtech opened a location in Saratoga Springs at 28 Clinton St., Suite 4, in the Blackmer Building, which also houses the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. It’s staffed by Elizabeth Page, the company’s director of business development.
With business booming, there’s more in store, Shaw said. Storedtech has many clients in Albany, and he expects to eventually have a full-fledged office and more staff to service clients in the region.
“It’s been a great two years,:” said Shaw with palpable enthusiasm. “We’re doing something right.”
The company actually started in a fashion that is the reverse his and Ecklund’s contacts with global companies, their early clients were global. Storedtech has customers in Tokyo, Taiwan, China, Spain, and British Columbia. It also has a bevy if west coast U.S. clients. The growth came from digging in home soil to grab local and regional clients. “We were founded in the middle of a recession,” said Shaw. “Think of what we can do when we come out of it.”
The company provides integrated business technology solutions such as computers, networking, data storage, disaster recovery, telecommunications, cabling, and video surveillance services.
Staff assists businesses with everything from telephone systems, to telephone and computer networks, to cabling, to video surveillance, to consulting and network design. That can sound confusing to people outside the world of technology. It’s business as usual to the staff at Storedtech.
Said Shaw, “If it’s tech-y, if it has a computer wire attached to it, we can manage it.”
He said the proven expertise of the staff and a commitment that Storedtech “can make it happen is what the group’s reputation is based on. He alluded to “fanatical customer service” wherein “everyone is treated as the biggest, best customer we have” as the company’s best attribute.
Shaw said about $10,000 to $20,000 is spent annually to keep staff trained on the latest products and industry trends. That means the staff is able to train IT personnel at other companies, when called upon, and it also ensures a level of confidence on behalf of a client.
“They know their stuff,” he said of his employees.
As Storedtech moves forward, Shaw expects more good things. “Nobody can say they’re using less computers than they did 10 years ago,” he noted.
“I have a passion for what I do. I enjoy it. It never gets old,” said Shaw. “It’s awesome.”
The company website is www.storedtech.com. The office can be reached at 793-1111.